The Ultimate Guide To School Prom In The UK
The Ultimate Guide To Prom
Prom originally started in the United States and has rapidly grown in popularity throughout the millenia and is now the highlight of the year for school-leavers to mark the milestones of GCSEs and A-levels.
When does prom usually take place?
Prom season is fairly short, running from mid-June to mid-July. However, the business is still estimated to be worth £80 million every year. According to a survey by Holiday Inn, on average prom cost £244 per person, with 10% spending over £500 and 2% splashing out, spending more than £1,500.
Why is prom so popular?
Seen as an attractive addition to the school calendar for many head teachers as it provides a "reward" for students after their exams and is something to look forward to with some students planning two, even four years ahead.
Where is prom held?
Venues range from 5 star hotels to night clubs, some of the more unique locations, include ships or famous recording studios.
In this blog post, we'll cover the everything you need to know about prom:
Planning For Prom
Whether your part of organising prom or simply trying to understand more about how much it will cost, planning is important. In this section, we'll cover tips and tricks on keeping to budget and useful advice for anyone part of the prom committee.
Before that though, it is important to decided what matters most when it comes to prom. Is it your dress? An amazing ride to and from the venue? Or what you'll do after prom? What you prioritise will help determine where you'll spend most of your most, so it is a good idea to think about planning for prom early so everything is not a last minute rush.
The cost of attending prom can come with big expenses, so it's smart to create a realistic prom budget. To help you, use this table below from promgirl.com to get a rough idea of cost.
| TOTAL £ YOU HAVE TO SPEND (Including money from parents) |
£____________ |
| PROM TICKET | £____________ |
| DRESS/TUXEDO | £____________ |
| SHOES | £____________ |
| JEWELRY | £____________ |
| PURSE/CLUTCH | £____________ |
| DINNER | £____________ |
| TRANSPORTATION/LIMO | £____________ |
| HAIR/MAKEUP/NAILS | £____________ |
| BOUTONNIERE/CORSAGE | £____________ |
| PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS | £____________ |
| TANNING / SKIN CARE | £____________ |
| AFTER PROM |
£____________ |
| GRAND TOTAL | £____________ |
Nearly all proms have a theme. This is normally decided by the organiser or prom committee and in many cases is voted on by your classmates to see what the most popular theme is.
Lets be honest, prom is not cheap and sometimes teenages could use a little help with this expense. There are charitable organisations in the UK which will either lend you a dress to wear or offer second dresses at a much lower price. Here are some we've found:
- Prom Ally - offer free load prom dress and you only pay a £10 returns postage and packagin fee. To be eligibile you need to be referred by your school, local authority or another charity.
- All Dressed Up - not-for-profit project that gifts donated prom dresses to school students in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire that need them. You can find out more about how to apply on their website.
Remember prom is nearly always after GCSEs or A-levels, which is why it is a good idea to starting thinking about prom early as you'll most likely be focused on revision leading up to it and you don't want to be overwhelmed with questions and things to sort out.
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What to wear
This completely up to you, start looking early so you’ll have the pick of the best and make sure it fits in with the theme if you have one.
Arriving In Style
Arriving at prom is one of the best bits, we’ve selected our favourites.
Keep in mind that life happens and unexpected things like bad weather heavy traffic, etc, can cause delay. Just in case, always plan for the arrival time to be a bit earlier.
TIP - Sharing a ride with your friends is a great way to save money.
1. Limousine
Ideal for arriving as a large group, limos are one of the most popular ways to arrive in style. The vast majority can seat up to 20 people, so it is one of the cheapest ways to arrive when you spread the cost amongst everyone. With modern interiors, leather seating and room for food and drink, a stretch limo is a great way to kick off prom in style.
2. Novelty Character Vehicles
Looking for the most unique transport, guaranteed to be the arrival of the night? Visit Star Care Hire
Hire a novelty character vehicle and bring your favourite film or tv show to life. Whether you’d like to arrive in a James Bond replica supercar or bring piece a of Hollywood to prom with the Batmobile or Ghostbuster Ecto-1, the possibilities our truly endless with an amazing range of cars to choose from.
3. Supercar
Turn heads by arriving in a Ferrari, Mclaren or Lamborghini, everyone will be able to hear the roar of the engine before you even pull-up. You’ll need to allow for a larger budget to cover the cost but it will be truly memorable experience.
TIP - To get the most out of your hire, choose a route that has a long stretch of straight roads with higher speed limits so you can experience the thrill and true speed of your ride.
4. London Bus
Are you looking to make a big and bold statement with your arrival? You cannot get bigger than hiring an entire London Bus!
Fitting up to 70 people on board, The London Bus Company allows you to hire classic red double decker buses for just a £50 deposit. An amazing yet cost effective way to arrive in style, especially when split amongst multiple people.
What to expect on prom night?
You've done plenty of planning and the day has finally arrived, make sure you enjoy it by being ready well before you are picked up and don't forget your ticket.
When you arrive at the venue prom goers will most likely be met at the door by chaperones checking for tickets and dress code violations.
Your prom will usually have DJ with loud music, low light and high energy levels. Relax and enjoy the atmosphere, socialise, take in the fun and checkout everything the event has to offer.
Later in the evening they will most likely be an after prom, these are almost as big a deal as prom. Most schools organise an after prom at a designated venue with entertainment like photo booths, popcorn machines, bounce house and more. Some people prefer a sleepover at a friend's house or a get-together at a restaurant, what you do for your after prom is really up to you and personal preference.
Gifts & Photo Frames
Gifts & Photo Frames are a great way to remember prom but also all the years you've shared together with your friends. They can either be given before prom will getting ready or after.
Here our some of our favourites:
1 Photo Frames
A really unique way to remember your prom night forever. Personalise a picture frame and give one to your bestie to cherish. £14.99
2 Keyrings
A really beautiful gift which makes sures you stay connected even after you move onto the new chapter of your life. £14.99
3 Jewellery
Stylish and understated, jewellery is a great sentimental gift. £25
All of the items featured above can be found in our prom collection on The Personal Shop. If you're looking for anything specific, please don't hesistate to contact us and we'll do everything we can help to you.
Popular Prom FAQS
Below we'll answered some of the most popular FAQs relating to prom.
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This depends on the type of gown you choose, as prom dresses comes in a variety of designs, sizes and styles, this can vary. As a guide, expect to pay between £10-200, designer dresses can cost upwards of £500. It depends on your individual style but there is a dress for every budget.
Definitely! One of the highlights of your school career, don't miss out of the opportunity to dress up and have a good time with friends. Don't worry if formal attire and dancing isn't your thing - you can always go and meet up with friends at the after prom celebration.
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.
We hope you found this blog post useful. Be sure to checkout all our personalised prom gifts.
If you're looking for anything in particular or we can help in any way, don't hesistate to contact us via customerservices@thepersonalshop.co.uk.